The Harley Davidson Owner’s manual, the bikers’ bible, recommends keeping sodium bicarbonate – aka baking soda – and water close at hand when working on your bike. So, if baking soda is good enough for Harley-Davidson, it’s good enough for Raymond. The dear boy was overwhelmed when he found out that he could prepare his own car/motorbike/boat/bicycle cleaner.

Miracle cleaner

To concoct this little marvel, tell Raymond to mix ¼ cup baking soda, ½ cup Castile soap (or soft olive oil soap) in a gallon of water and pour it into a nice big can. To wash a dirty bike, all he needs is a cup of this cleaner mixed in a bucket of hot water.

Regarding relentless squatters resisting this big clean – i.e. kamikaze insects stuck to the bike, resin drops, grease and other nasties – a lovely little baking soda treatment should get rid of them in no time. Tell him to prepare a paste, half baking soda half water, and spread it on the strategic spots with a damp cloth. He should give the mixture 5 minutes to work its magic before rinsing it off with water.

Chrome beautifier

To scintillate chromes, The Harley Davidson Owner Manual gives a little recipe that Raymond welcomed with open arms.

Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1 cup vinegar. After the big fizz, pour into a lovely water spray bottle. Spritz the lack-lustre chromes and shine them with a soft dry cloth.

Or

Make a paste, half baking soda half water. Spread on the chromes, rub, leave to dry, rinse with warm water and polish with a soft cloth This marvellous mixture works like a charm to clean wheel rims, hubcaps, bumpers, etc.

This clever little white powder is a mega cleaner for most vehicles as well as a handy hand cleaner. After working on his bike or after spilling some petrol while filling up his tank, Raymond sprinkles a little baking soda into the palm of his favourite hand, he rubs it against the other and dries both of them with tissue paper.